The Mac Studio that Apple announced in March of this year, and that includes really powerful features compared to the rest of the models in the Mac range, could have a not very promising future. At least, that’s what Mark Gurman of Bloombergwho has revealed the company’s plans for future Mac mini and Mac Pro ARM chips, and who believes that the aforementioned model, capable of offering a configuration that includes an M1 Ultra chip, is simply a transition to the Mac Pro.
If we except the Mac Pro, a model that Apple still offers, but that maintains Intel processors, the Mac Studio is the most powerful model in the company’s catalog. At least, in terms of equipment with Apple Silicon chip. It’s even more powerful than the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro in its fullest configuration. This makes it an ideal option for professionals looking for a device with all the advantages of Apple’s own SoCs. The company, however, has other plans for future Macs.
Apple could launch a Mac Pro with its own chip at any time of the year. It is something that, in fact, the company itself confirmed after announcing the Mac Studio, and Gurman expects it to include M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips. This model would put Mac Studio in second place and that it was no longer such an attractive alternative for those more professional users. Gurman has also revealed that the company also plans to announce a new Mac mini with M2 Pro chip: A more suitable option for users who want a powerful computer, without reaching the levels of what the Mac Pro would offer.
Without a different purpose for Mac Studio and Mac Pro
This strategy by Apple would make Mac Studio stay in no man’s land. Gurman even believes that Mac Studio’s days could be numbered, since he assures that the company doesn’t seem to have a different “purpose” for Mac Studio and Mac Pro, and that both would cover the same niche of users. Mac Studio, therefore, may not be updated in the future, while Mac Pro may have future versions.
Gurman, on the other hand, points out that Apple continues to work on new Mac mini with M2 chip and M2 Pro, though he hopes these won’t include the previously rumored redesign. Its release date is also unknown, but it is likely that we will see them from next year. We must not forget that Apple also plans to renew the MacBook Pro with M2 and M2 Pro chips, as well as announce other models in the Mac range with these processors, which could come with an octa-core GPU and a quad-core CPU.